Hi, first time pool owner. We got an 18’ round metal above ground pool. We also got the stairs that curve and are plastic that fills with water and sand. I’m trying to close my pool for the season and reading the manual for the stairs says either take out or leave in the middle of the pool. Obviously I’d rather leave in since there is no way I’ll be able to get these out on my own. However I don’t want them expanding and breaking from winter either since they nearly cost a grand. Has anyone left theirs in the pool? We live outside of Philadelphia so we get decent cold weather. We also don’t have a deck yet for the pool, future project next summer or the following summer. Thanks for advice.
Plastic Curve Steps - Winter - Leave In?
- Thread starter Angdrea21
- Start date
- Jun 1, 2018
- 14,116
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
My best advice is to take the sand out of them & weigh them down with separately filled sealed containers. Depending upon which steps you have there are multiple ways to accomplish this.
Sand inside the steps is an algae haven. If water can get in, algae can grow there.
Doing This would also make them easier to remove & clean which is necessary to prevent algae city. I pull mine & clean them at the beginning & end of each season. Mine live in the pool over the winter with the weights on top of them.
Sand inside the steps is an algae haven. If water can get in, algae can grow there.
Doing This would also make them easier to remove & clean which is necessary to prevent algae city. I pull mine & clean them at the beginning & end of each season. Mine live in the pool over the winter with the weights on top of them.
I left mine in last year and I'm probably doing it again this year.
However keep in mind they will get frozen in the ice and while this doesn't seem to harm them they will slowly work their way up as the ice thaws and refreezes. That's fine too as long as they're not bolted to the pool and will not hit the rail
However if the pool were to drain too far it could put a lot of pressure on the stairs and bottom of the pool. This was my main concern last year.
However keep in mind they will get frozen in the ice and while this doesn't seem to harm them they will slowly work their way up as the ice thaws and refreezes. That's fine too as long as they're not bolted to the pool and will not hit the rail
However if the pool were to drain too far it could put a lot of pressure on the stairs and bottom of the pool. This was my main concern last year.
I have removable weights on mine. I take the weights off, and then I can slowly (so the water drains) lift the out of the pool.
I would not fill the stairs themselves with anything other than water.
I would not fill the stairs themselves with anything other than water.